Rumor: White Sox expected to trade several starters by MLB trade deadline
Rumor: White Sox expected to trade several starters by MLB trade deadline originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
Chris Getz and the White Sox are gearing up for another busy MLB trade deadline, according to a recent report from USA Today’s Bob Nightengale.
“The White Sox, off to their worst start in franchise history, are still hoping to trade [Tommy] Pham to the highest bidder before the trade deadline,” Nightengale wrote. “…The White Sox are also expected to trade starters Erick Fedde, Chris Flexen, Mike Clevinger, reliever Michael Kopech and DH Eloy Jiménez.”
Jiménez and Kopech are the only players rumored to be on the trade block who have been with the team for a significant period.
Jiménez, 27, has struggled to stay on the field his entire career with the White Sox. He’s played over 100 games in just two seasons of his six-year career. His career high for games played in a season is 122, a mark he set his rookie season.
He’s a phenomenal talent and is inarguably the team’s best bat when he’s on the field. But his injury history is detrimental. And because of his injuries, the White Sox are hesitant to play him in the outfield on defense, making him a one-trick pony.
Jiménez’s contract is an appealing part of his trade value. He has two more years under club control after this season. Though, he’s slated to make $16.5 million per season from those two seasons, a rather high number for his current abilities.
As for Kopech, 28, he tried his hand at becoming a starter during the 2022 and 2023 seasons. He showed some flashes, but it didn’t take. He endured several injuries, plus his velocity and command tanked significantly.
This season, the White Sox put Kopech back in the bullpen, using him in high-leverage situations. That appeared to help Kopech mentally and tick his velocity up. But his 4.15 ERA and 1.269 WHIP would suggest he still has work left in front of him.
Last season, the White Sox made a fleury of trades, sending several key players off their roster for prospects. Some of those players included Lucas Giolito, Reynaldo López, Joe Kelly, Lance Lynn, Kendall Graveman and Jake Burger.
They also traded Dylan Cease just as the regular season was getting underway to the Padres. There were rumblings that the White Sox would hold him until the trade deadline, but Getz found an offer from San Diego that satisfied him.
With all the prospects the White Sox collected from several trades, they crafted one of the top farm systems in the league. According to Bleacher Report, the White Sox own the third-best farm system on their rankings this season.
Here are all the prospects the White Sox have and how the organization acquired them.
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SS Colson Montgomery (2021 MLB Draft)
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LHP Noah Schultz (2022 MLB Draft)
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RHP Drew Thorpe (Cease Trade)
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3B Bryan Ramos (International Sign)
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C Edgar Quero (Giolito/López Trade)
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OF Samuel Zavala (Cease Trade)
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SS Jacob Gonzalez (2023 MLB Draft)
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RHP Nick Nastrini (Lynn/Kelly Trade)
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RHP Jairo Iriarte (Cease Trade)
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LHP Jake Eder (Burger Trade)
The MLB trade deadline is set for July 30 this season.
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